UK visitor visa refused due to length of prior stay
I was issued a 6-months UK visa in 2014 and I stayed for 3 months. When I applied again for a visa to the UK, it was refused based on the fact that I stayed for 3 months. They also said in the refusal letter that I should state why I asked for 3 months and to provide evidence that my employer was aware of my long stay. I am a teacher by profession please help me with this issue because I have been invited by the British Army to attend an assessment and interview in the UK.
Best Answer
This is a great example of why we ask to see a scan of the refusal notice. You wrote...
When I applied again for a visa to the UK, it was refused based on the fact that I stayed for 3 months.
And yes, this was mentioned in their refusal notice, but it was icing on the cake. The real show-stopper was that your premise was to take part in a selection event for the British Army, and you didn't support the premise with evidence. They wrote...
...you have not submitted evidence that you have been selected to attend the event or that you have passed the first stage of selection...
So you failed to establish that your premise was genuine and left them no other choice but to refuse. Applicants from Ghana face difficulties in the entry clearance process and need to use extra diligence, so next time be sure to include your evidence.
For the part about staying longer than you proposed, they are starting to refuse on these grounds also. Genuine visitors that have an on-going life in their home country generally do not allow themselves to stay for a long time because of their commitments at home.
Of course it's true that people will extend their visits if there's something they want to do. It might be for a weekend, or a week or two max, but if it gets to be where they no longer believe you have presented your circumstances honestly then you can expect problems. In your case they didn't understand how someone could take three and one-half months off from a full-time job. You didn't explain it how that happened, so they suspect that your employment circumstances were not the way you described them. But as written above, this was just icing on the cake and the operative reason for your refusal is a failed premise.
Summary: They got you on V 4.2 (a) + (c), which is their way of saying that they think you might have a secondary agenda of absconding your visa and going underground. Your next application will need to use extra diligence to assure that their concerns are fully explained. If the British Army has invited you, be sure to include their invitation as part of your evidence.
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Does UK visitor visa get rejected?
Each year thousands of applications are rejected. At times applicants worry about what possibly could have been wrong with their application. In 2019, the UK visa rejection rate went up to 13%. Bangladesh, Ghana and Algeria were amongst the countries that faced visa rejections up to 40%.Why does UK tourist visa get rejected?
Insufficient funds for a trip to the UK. The applicant has overstayed or submitted false documents on a previous trip to the UK. The applicant does not comply with visa regulations such as submitting to a biometric scan, photograph or provide a medical report.Can I leave the UK after 6 months and come back?
Your new Visitor immigration permission may not be for a further six months: the Border Force Officer may give you just the time you need to complete your studies, or six months minus the length of time you recently spent in the UK as a Visitor.What happens if your UK visa is refused?
If your application is refusedYou'll get a letter or an email explaining why your application was refused. Your passport will be returned, if it was kept as part of your application. Your refusal letter will explain if you have the right to either an: administrative review.UK Immigration : No More Delay for UK Visa | Fast Visa Processing for International Students | UKVI
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